Luminescence
by GlowingGumboots
Summary: Cloud's life was never much to write home about. Average college student, amateur swimmer, anxious party-goer. A chance encounter with the college swim team captain Leon might change everything. However, bad things are known to happen to good people. Not everyone accepts people the way they are, Cloud.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! This is my first time writing anything so please be kind :) I don't own any of the characters, just the plot. Square Enix and Disney own all the rights.**

CHAPTER 1

I was never one for parties. As quite an introverted person, parties did not provide me with the warm blanket of social interaction that so many other college students get from it. Instead it is a place for me to worry about how I look, how I compare to my fellow students, and if they've noticed i've been standing here by the TV waiting for Tifa to return from doing her party rounds. Tifa is my best friend, we are both studying finance together at Midgar University. We are in our second year of college and this party is a celebration for the commencement of another semester.

Many people find it odd that Tifa and I managed to become so close. Although we are both reasonably good looking, Tifa is the captain of the College Hockey team and I find solace and company in the IT community on campus. My name is Cloud, 21 years old, 5'11", blue eyes, blond spiky hair that can't be trained, and slim bodied. We met in our first ever subject Finance 101 in our first semester. As I took a seat in the spacious tutorial room, she somehow happened to push my textbook (a solid 4kg) off my desk and right on to the poor guy's foot next to me. We both giggled at his dramatic outcry of pain, but we apologised profusely, and we bonded from then on.

So, returning to the party, I look up from the beer I'm holding and, as fate would have it, watched as Reno and his gang of jocks walk in the front door. Reno and I have a bit of a rough history together. We are neighbours, living on the same street, and our parents are good friends. He, however, never liked me much and as we progressed through primary and middle school we separated into our respective categories. Reno is the current quarterback of Midgar University's prestigious football team, and I am the vice president of the IT club. As Reno grew in physical stature, he realised he could start tormenting me without consequence since I am obviously shorter and weaker than he is. Whereas he hits the gym at least five times a week, I prefer swimming and occasional gymnastics to balance my student and work life. Don't get me wrong,  
I'm not a scrawny weakling incapable of defending myself, I do have a bit of muscle, but against Reno and his band of buffoons I don't stand much of a chance.

Reno waltzes through the party, winking at the girls and cheerleaders he passes, grabbing a beer on the way and stands with his brawny bunch near the dancefloor. As he's talking to his best friend Rude he happens to glance at me and our eyes hold each other's gaze. I instantly lower my eyes to the floor once I realise he could come over here and punch me into tomorrow if he so wished, but he simply smirked and resumed his conversation with Reno. I decided to find Tifa and either stick to her like glue or simply tell her I wasn't feeling well and needed to leave. After searching the bottom floor and finding nothing I turned my search to the upper floor. As i walked up the staircase I could hear giggling and someone urging the other to be quiet. As cliche as it may seem, the door was ajar just enough for someone to peek through and see who was giving in to their primal urges. I willed myself to be as silent as possible and looked through the door crack, and what I saw shocked me. There was Tifa sprawled out on the bed with Zack, a third-year, performing a strip tease for her. Zack Fair is the college heartthrob, with his toned body, 6'2" height and a jawline so sharp it could cut diamond.

As you may have guessed from my description, yes I am gay. I came out to my parents and Tifa about four years ago near the end of high school and luckily I was met with unconditional love from both my parents and Tifa. Whereas in highschool I was much more guarded and embarrassed of my sexuality, I loosened the reigns in college and now I am publically open about being gay, and it's been great. Unlike all the movies, I was never met with any bullying or harrassment for being gay, except for one person. Yep, you guessed it, Reno.

Reno is a well known homophobe, and it became quite clear to me why his dislike for me was so strong. Having only dated the hottest girls in high school and college, he like many narrow minded people saw a different lifestyle as something to be mocked and ridiculed. Luckily his attitude wasn't shared by many people around high school and college and I was able to finish school and progress in college without any emotional trauma or drama to weigh me down. Of course, having social anxiety magnified the worry i felt about fitting in and being accepted by my peers,  
but as Tifa told me on so many occasions, in this modern time many people are either indifferent or accepting of homosexuality. Thankfully, many people see the futility in trying to hurt and damage people who are unable to change this factor that was with them from birth.

So here I am, peeking through the door at my best friend about to get it on with the college heartthrob. I knew I should've walked away instantly but I couldn't resist the chance to see Zack's glorious body. As if reading my mind, Zack's strip tease moved his body to face the door and I got a look at those chiselled abs and defined pecs. My erotic daydreaming was suddenly cut short by the alarming sound of someone coming up the staircase. I quickly ducked into Tifa's bedroom,  
pretending I had just finished a phone call. As i left the room I saw who had intruded on the upper floor. It was Leon, the transfer student from Nibelheim University. Leon was on the swimming team at the university and was just promoted to captain, despite only having been here for about a month.

Leon is what many people would describe as the perfect athlete. He was physically built, strong arms and torso and lean legs strengthened from his daily swimming practise. Despite his jock-like appearance he was rumoured to be quite a nice guy, although he was more of the silent type, keeping a few close friends instead of having parades of acquaintances like Reno and Rude. I hadn't had the chance to meet him yet but his physique was enough to make me nervous. He was wearing navy skinny jeans and a tight-fitting black button-up shirt. He looked drop dead gorgeous.

He reached the top of the stairs and spotted me, seemingly unsure of whether to come over and introduce himself or focus on what he'd come up here to do. For some unknown reason my body seemed to make that choice for him and walked over there. Before I even knew what I was doing, I took a risk and prepared myself.

"Hi". Simple, direct, good on you Cloud! "Hi there. You're Cloud Strife, right?" Wow, that baritone voice made my cheeks flush and my chest tighten. "Uhh y-y-yeah,  
that's me." Yikes, now I'm stammering. Focus, Cloud. Focus. "I think I've seen you in the IT department once or twice" he 's seen me before! I wasn't even aware of his existance a week ago."Yeah, I'm currently interning there. It can be rough sometimes but im enjoying it quite a lot actually." Wow, I'm actually holding a conversation with a guy like Leon. Tifa would be so proud. "Wow, that's awesome! I'm in my final semester of Molecular Biology." Wow, didn't have him pegged for the brilliant type. "I'm also trying to juggle being swim team captain as well."

I was honestly impressed at how successful Leon was doing. The swim team has practice every morning at 8am and my friend Sephiroth is in the same degree as Leon and he's constantly complaining about his late night classes all week. Leon must be quite a driven and determined guy. Although I do have things keeping me busy, like my IT internship, occasional tennis with Tifa, and a mild addiction to Nintendo games, I wasn't as time-constricted as Leon seemed to be. Being a Saturday night though it's clear he still has time for social events such as this. I didn't even know Tifa had invited him to the party, let alone knowing they had even met.

"So how do you know Tifa?" I asked.  
"Oh, I'm also a barista at one of the university cafes, Cafe Viva. Tifa's a regular customer so we've been getting to know each other over the past month."  
Of course! As much as I love Tifa, she is a terrifying woman without her morning dose of caffeine. I learnt that the hard way in first-year when I tried to get her to go bush-walking with me and ended up with a broken nose after trying to wake her up. Tifa + no coffee + before 10am = bodily harm. And if i wasn't impressed enough, Leon was also balancing a job with everything else in his life. He's inspired me to use my time more wisely.

"Do you even get time to sleep? Sounds like your life is non-stop." He chuckled and flashed a winning smile that made my stomach do somersaults. "It's not so bad,  
I've got to meet a lot of cool people here. My degree is...challenging to say the least, but I still get to have fun, and my swimming keeps me in shape." Amen to that.

"Tifa's told me a lot about you, you know" he said. My eyes noticeably widened, what could she have possibly told him about me? Please, please be good things! "Apparently you like to swim?" "Yeah I do. I play tennis with Tifa sometimes but I really enjoy swimming, it's very calming and therapeutic." Leon gave a nod of approval. "Have you considered trying out for the swim team? We'd love to have you join if you're any good." Oh my god, did he just invite me to join the swim team? With all of the hot guys walking around in nothing but swimming shorts? I'm pretty sure I'd die from blood loss with the amount of nosebleeds I'd get.  
"I've actually never considered it before, but yeah I might give it a try. When should I drop by?" I'd have to do some training. I don't swim competitively,  
I swim leisurely. To be fair I am quite adept at swimming, it's been an activity ive enjoyed since childhood, but now there's some extra pressure.

"How about Monday morning? Practise starts at 8:00am so drop by around 7:30 and I'll evaluate your swimming ability." Monday. MONDAY!? Shit, I've only got one day to get ready? I guess I'd better make this my last beer for the night then. "Y-y-yeah, sure. Sounds great!" I said, slapping on a fake grin and trying my best to sound confident. "Fantastic! Well, I need the bathroom, that's why I came up here. Some idiot first-year is throwing her guts up in the downstairs bathroom.  
Tragic." His sarcasm made me giggle. "I guess I'll see you on Monday morning, Cloud." He held out his hand for a handshake, and I took it gladly. His hand was bigger than mine, enveloping my hand with a pleasing warmth. "Yeah, I'll see you then." Despite saying our goodbyes, his hand lingered in mine, making me both uncomfortable and giddy with excitement. The eye contact was also being maintained. His stormy grey eyes staring into my crystal blue ones.  
Is there...? Could he maybe be...? No, i'm imagining it.

He slowly released my hand from his firm grip, smiled, and walked to the bathroom. Feeling slightly light-headed, I stumbled down the stairs back to the party where a group of third-years were playing beer pong and clearly failing at it. It seems the alcohol was having it's inevitable effect on the oblivious boys. No doubt they'll pass out on Tifa's couch within the hour. Getting absolutely wasted is simply a write of passage at any university. Rummaging through the kitchen I find a notepad and write Tifa a note.

 _Dearest Teefs, something's come up tomorrow and I've gotta leave. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow when you've recovered from the head-splitting migraine I'm sure you're having as you're reading this. And you've got some explaining to do yourself. That's right, I know things :)._  
 _Cloudster._

I've always hated her nickname for me but it's stuck since first-year so it's useless trying to rid myself of it. And with the note posted on the fridge, I grab my things and begin the long walk back to my own dorm with an undeniable spring in my step.

You know how in movies the main character always wakes up so serenely and gracefully, with the sun peering through the window and it's always a lovely blue sky sort of day? Well those things really only happen in the movies. I was woken so abruptly this Sunday morning by the deafening sound of thunder and torrential rain. I'm one of those people whose mood is affected by the weather. If the sun shows itself during the day, I'll be inspired to exercise, run errands, basically do anything to soak up the positive weather. And then there's days like today, where the weather is practically screaming at me to stay indoors and have a Will and Grace marathon.  
Alas, the memories of last night began to flood into my mind. Tifa's party, Reno showing up, idiots playing beer pong, Leon. Oh my god, Leon! My swimming tryout was tomorrow morning and it's already 11:13am. I've never been a morning person, the whole notion of rising before the sun and getting an early start has never appealed to me in the slightest. I believe waking up before your body is ready is a ticket to an early grave. So, with a resounding sigh, and three failed attempts, i lift myself out of bed and prepare myself for a day of high-intensity swimming at the university aquatic centre.

Running in the rain is never a good idea, but then again neither is letting your clothes get completely saturated in the rain. I really need to buy an umbrella at some point. Being the ever graceful person that I am, as I was sprinting across the deserted campus to escape the cursed precipitation my foot lost traction on the ground and I tumbled to the concrete floor. A burning pain shot up my side, and my hands were now grazed and raw. "Oh my, are you all right?" an unfamiliar voice reached my ears. "Yeah I'm fine, thanks for asking", and as i turned to the mysterious person my senses were momentarily stunned by an excessive amount of pink. Or maybe it was salmon. Or watermelon. Standing in front of me was Aerith Gainsborough. At only 5'7" she was noticeably shorter than me, but being the captain of the cheerleading team she was well known for her compassionate nature and kindness. "You're Cloud, right? Cloud Strife?" she asked. "Yeah, that's me".  
How is it everyone knows who I am around here? I am by no means famous on campus, or even memorable for that matter. Maybe it's my hair. Yeah, that's gotta be it.  
"Nice fall. Smooth as a gazelle" she giggled. I couldn't resist a grin, I guess it wouldv'e been quite amusing to watch from a stranger's perspective. I, too, was guilty of finding amusement in other people's clumsiness. It distracts me temporarily from your my lack of co-ordination. Being the kind soul she is, she shared her outrageously pink umbrella with me. One of those umbrellas with the cat ears and a cute little face. It suited her well.

"So, where are you heading?" she asked.  
"Oh, I'm going to the aquatic centre. I'm trying out for the swimming team tomorrow." She raised her eyebrows in what looked like approval. Or disbelief. Hopefully the former. "Wow, that's excellent. I heard Leon's only accepting the best of the best for the swimming team." My eyes comically bulged out of my head. The best of the best? I have to be the best of the best?! Maybe I should turn around now, spare myself from embarrassment, and start that Will and Grace marathon. Oh that sounds like a good plan. Aerith giggled at my reaction. "Don't worry, I've seen you swim before, Cloud. I'm also on the water polo team so I've seen you in action. You're really quite good." A blush radiated from my cheeks. I get the occassional compliment from time to time, but this was the head cheerleader telling me I excelled in something. "Oh, t-thanks Aerith." A glorious smile erupted on her face. "Well, I've got a water polo meeting in the aquatic centre, how about we head there together?"  
The socially anxious part of me was screaming "NO", but the intrigued part of me was saying "let's give it a go, what could happen?". "Sure, let's go."

Normally, in conversation with new people my mind is always desperately searching for interesting things to talk about so the other person doesn't get overly bored,  
but talking with Aertih just flowed wonderfully. We talked about our degrees, our jobs, our families and lots of other small things. She has an amazing life outside of cheerleading, she's doing a degree in Forensic Science. An interesting field to say the least. It also turns out she's friends with Tifa as well. Tifa just seems to know everyone around here. I guess with her good looks she's quite the magnet for social interaction. We reached the aquatic centre, said our goodbyes and she mentioned someting about possibly meeting up again later. Usually, I would give a fake excuse to bail myself out of awkward social situations, but I gladly accepted her offer. Pride was swelling through me, perhaps my anxious personality is starting to ease. Or so I thought until I turned the corner and collided with a solid body. Today was not my day for grace and co-ordination. I picked myself up, turned around and my heart dropped. It was Reno. "Well, well, well. If it isn't little Cloudy." I went into defensive mode, looking for possible exits and escape routes, but the only way was past Reno. "What's a queer like you doing here, come to perve on all the shirtless guys?" With a rare surge of confidence I pushed past him and sprinted for the pool room. Glancing back I saw Reno hot on my heels, but Lady Luck must've decided to cut me a break today. Reno slipped on the wet surface of the centre and barrelled into a door that was opened just milliseconds after I passed it.  
The lady who opened the door screamed in horror and was calling for assistance, and I continued on my merry way to the pool. I guess good things to happen to good people once in a while.

Once I reached the pool room I was ecstatic to find it completely empty. I guess no-one felt like coming here on such a miserable day, they'd all rather be in their houses, nice and warm and watching a Will and Grace marathon. Yeah, I really like that show. A lot. I quickly changed into my swimming shorts in the locker room,  
returned to the pool and positioned myself at the starting line. Ok, Leon will be evaluating me tomorrow morning so I need to practise my speed and endurance. I dived into the crystal blue water and began my vigorous training. Forty-five minutes later I was absolutely exhausted, I'd pushed my body hard. My arms and legs were begging for rest. I had actually accomplished a lot in just forty-five minutes. I'd managed to cut down my speed significantly, and my endurance has been slowly improving thanks to my regular swimming habits. Whether or not I'll make the team is another question entirely. I'm happy with my ability but against people like Leon,  
I might be worlds away. I exited the pool and entered the locker room to change back into my clothes. As I was putting on my last sock, the locker room door opened. Someone else was about to use the pool. I looked up and was surprised to see Zack. The same Zack that was getting it on with Tifa last night. "Oh, hey Cloud. Fancy seeing you here." Another person that knew me! No doubt through Tifa. Again. "H-hey Zack. Yeah, I was just doing some training. I'm trying out for the swimming team tomorrow morning." Zack eyes opened in surprise. "Wow, really? I'm on the swimming team!" I certainly wasn't expecting that. I thought someone with a body like Zack's would be playing football with Reno and his gang. Nonetheless, I was excited that I at least knew a familiar face on the swimming team. "So you're trying out tomorrow,  
huh? I hope you're ready. Leon isn't easily impressed."

Yes, thanks Zack. That's just the boost i needed. Seeing my worried look he quickly added "Don't worry, dude.  
I saw you swimming as i was walking in, you're pretty good! I think you'll be a great addition to the team." Wow, praise from Zack Fair. This day has gone from awful to marvellous. "I really hope so, Zack. I normally just swim for fun, but Leon invited me to try out last night at Tifa's party." At the mention of last night's party,  
Zack smiled like the cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland. I guess something definitely happened with him and Tifa. I was definitely meeting up with her later to get all the juicy details. "Well, best of luck then. I'm gonna start my own training now." And just like that, he was out of the locker room and doing his daily laps. I walked out of the aquatic centre feeling much better than I had when i walked in. As if sensing my change of mood, the rain decided to end its depressing downpour. All I need now is the clouds to disappear and a rainbow to fill the sky and I'd be in my Disney movie. I wonder what Tifa is doing now. I check my phone and it tells me 10:41am. If she's had coffee already I should be good to go. If not... well I'll be in trouble.

Despite being best friends, our dorms could not have been further apart. If there was a shuttle bus across campus I would most definitely take it, but unfortunately life isn't always that easy. So I began my trek to Tifa's dorm. Twenty minutes later I arrived, looking quite puffed might I add. I'd exerted all my energy in the pool this morning so now my body was paying the price. I miraculously made it up the three flights of stairs and just as I turned into her corridor I saw a girl named Selphie running out of Tifa's room clutching what looked like her broken nose in her hands. "Hey Selphie, are you alrig-", she ran past me wailing in pain. Although the poor girl was in pain, I couldn't help but chuckle. I guess Tifa hadn't had her coffee yet, and poor Selphie felt her wrath. At least now she should be up. Tifa does love using her fists, its why she's the co-captain of the Karate team. As if her looks weren't enough she's also deadly should you piss her off. I cautiously entered the room, the door left wide open by a bludgered Selphie.

I was shocked to find Tifa staring out the window, happily humming an original tune whilst the kettle was boiling. You'd never know she'd just walloped one of her close friends, who happens to be a part-time model, in the nose. There's something you should also know about me, I absolutely adore playing pranks on my friends. It makes me feel alive, gives me such an adrenaline rush. So, as silently as I could, I picked up one of Tifa's pots and a wooden spoon and crept up behind her. A lion wouldv'e been proud of my stealth. With as much energy as I could muster I slammed the wooden spoon into the base of the pot about 20cm away from Tifa's head. She let out the most satisying scream of terror, her high pitch almost enough to shatter the glass she'd been momentarily staring out of five seconds before. I lost my composure and dropped to the ground, side-splitting tremors of laughter gripping my sides. Unimpressed and horrified, Tifa started kicking me none too gently in my sides in an attempt for revenge. She too, gave in to my infectious laughter and dropped to the floor, joining me in my mirth.

"Morning Teefs" I said with the most satisfying grin I could produce. "Shut up you twerp! You gave me a fucking heart attack." Always one for exaggeration she was. I gave her a quick hug, which she grudingly returned, and we stood up so she could get her sweet nectar of tranquility, also known as coffee. I was burning with questions about her and Zack last night but I decided I would give her the chance to explain what happened before I revealed what I already knew. "Sooooo, how was the rest of the party? I assume you got my note" I said. "Oh my god, Cloud I have so much to tell you. Guess who i made out with last night!?" Wait, they only made out? Sounds a bit tame for Tifa. I guess Zack wanted to take things slow. "Hmmm, was it Selphie?" I said with a vibrant smirk. There's an ongoing joke in our little group about Tifa and Selphie. Back in first year at our first ever college party Tifa and Selphie got incredibly drunk and were dared by some second-years to make out.

Being under alcohol's warm embrace the girls threw caution to the wind and started making out, unaware of what they were actually doing. Peer pressure had won again. A few of us who were smart enough have the glorious event on video, and have it ready for any blackmail we would ever need. "Oh God, when are you guys gonna let that go, it was three years ago! Anyway, no it was Zack. Zack Fair!" she exclaimed with joy. Putting on the performance of a lifetime I faked shock. "Are you serious, THE Zack Fair?!" "Yes, Yes the one and only! We were talking as i was doing my rounds last night and he confessed he's had a crush on me for a while. I think the alcohol was loosening his tongue a bit, but he has a crush on me! Oh happy day!" she said, dramatically flinging her hand across her forehead. Smirking, I replied "Wow, so what's the go from here? Are you two dating, friends with benefits? Hmm?" She paused, obviously having not even thought about it. "Oh, I don't know. I guess I'll just wait for him to call me and we'll work it out from there. He seems more like the serious relationship type than one night flings." I couldn't tell if what she was saying was correct or if she was deluding herself. Sure, Zack seems like a nice guy but he's also a young man in college. Maybe Tifa was looking into this too much. Oh well, I guess time will reveal all. "So explain your note. Why did you have to leave?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"No way! Leon, the captain of the swim team?!" Disbelief overcame Tifa as I relayed the events of her party after her disappearing act with Zack. "Yes but now he's gonna evaluate my swimming ability. What if I'm terrible?! What if he says no immediately!?" Hysteria was building slowly in my mind, but driven sharply away by a swift slap from Tifa. "Oi, snap out of it Cloudster. You are a great swimmer. You know it, I know it, so what's the big deal?" One thing I admired about Tifa was her ability to assess any situation with a calm, rational mind. I, however, am less equipped to handle such anxiety-inducing ideas.

"But it's tomorrow morning! I've had one day to prepare" I said woefully. "Yea but that's all you need, Cloudster. You'll be fine, I promise. Besides, it's a good chance for Leon to see that sexy body you got goin' on there" said Tifa, suddenly groping my body in a way only a best friend would. "S..sexy body?" I spluttered, my face turning a vibrant red shade. I suddenly felt a bit violated and self-conscious. I knew my body was a bit better than average but I was still leagues away from people like Zack. And Leon. I wonder what Leon would look like shirtless.

Deciding not to stay on that train of thought for too long, especially with company in the room, I told Tifa I was gonna head back to my dorm and mentally prepare for tomorrow. It was already 7:53pm, I'd stayed at Tifa's apartment for several hours, listening to Tifa's gushing over her hookup with Zack more times than I could handle. After saying our goodbyes I made my long way back to my dorm on the other side of the college campus. Entering my dorm I flopped on my bed and set an early alarm for tomorrow's meeting with Leon. Just the thought of it made my stomach churn with both pleasure and fear. And as I closed my eyes and welcomed sleep, I wasn't sure whether the pleasure of the fear was stronger.

BZZZ. BZZZ. BZZZ. 6:30a.m was such an ungodly hour. My alarm clock made a good effort reminding me of that fact. Grudgingly, I managed to raise myself up and prepare for another normal Monday. Wait, Monday! Leon and the swimming evaluation! With renewed vigor I blazed into the bathroom and showered rapidly. I felt the need to look my absolute best for my meeting with Leon. My spiky hair, though, was resilient in its defiance of gravity despite my best efforts. Throwing on my swimming shorts and a v-neck tee, I checked my appearance one last time and bolted out the door.

The college campus is an absolute ghost town before 8am. Not a single person in sight except the occasional cleaner getting an early start on the day's work. I checked my watch as I weaved through the buildings, displaying 7:18am. I'd be cutting it close. Just as the aquatic centre came into view, fate decided to once again strike a blow to my dignity. I collided with what felt like a wall of flesh that had seemingly appeared from nowhere, and my heart sank when I saw the bright red hair the person was sporting. It had to be Reno. With trembling hands I stood up and tried to find an exit strategy, but as I started to make my move I noticed that something seemed a bit off about Reno. Usually Reno would swear like a sailor who'd been speared by a marlin, but the person before him simply sighed and pushed himself up quite collectedly. That's when I realised this wasn't Reno. The mystery man was also wearing sports gear instead of Reno's trademark varsity jacket and blue jeans.

"I'm so sorry man, I had no idea you were there. Are you ok?" I asked tentatively. "Well, it's not every day I get barrelled into like a ram, but I think I might survive." The man gave me a wink and a smirk and I was instantly drawn to two things. The tattoos under his eyes and the eyes themselves. A brilliant acidic green hue that gleamed with humor. "The name's Axel, got it memorised?" What an unusual phrase, but nonetheless I committed it to memory anyway. "C-cloud" I stammered. "Sorry again for running into you man." My relief that it wasn't Reno was wonderful, but I then noticed a liquid sensation above my right eye. I raised my hand to investigate and it revealed blood. I must've scraped my head in my little skirmish with Axel. "Whoa dude, you're bleeding!" Axel exclaimed. He whipped out his wallet and produced a band-aid. What a prepared person. He handed it to me and I reached out to take it, and his hand seemed to linger for what seemed like microseconds longer than a stranger normally would.

I had failed to notice his eyes continually staring directly at me, but now noticing it I felt a similar sensation of both pleasure and discomfort deep in my stomach. Before I could say something to relieve the tension, Axel beat me to it. "Well I've gotta run, gonna be late for lacrosse practice. See ya around Cloudy." And with that smirk, he sprinted off. What a character Axel was. Watching him sprint off, my eyes went up to the massive clocktower behind him which read 7:29am. Oh god, I was gonna be late! I raced into the aquatic centre and made a beeline for the main swimming pool. Bypassing the diving platforms and the water polo area, I arrived at the main pool and checked my watch. 7:31am. Not bad, i thought to myself, considering what had just transpired outside the centre.

"Ah Cloud, you're here." I whirled around and saw Leon standing there with nothing but his swimming shorts on. I blushed heavily and tried my absolute best to keep my eyes on his face, but the urge to rake my eyes over his body was becoming more difficult with each passing second. "Oh, h-hi Leon, sorry I'm a bit late, I ran into someone outside the centre. Literally ran into him. Said his name was Axel." I was impressed by how confident my tone was. Leon's eyebrows knitted together in what seemed like concern. "Axel? Axel LeHuit? Did he have bright red hair and weird tattoos under his eyes?" Leon asked. I nodded in confirmation. "You should stay away from him Cloud, he's got quite the reputation for malice. Loves to start fights with anyone is what I've heard from my friends on the lacrosse team." My eyebrows skyrocketed. "Malice? I just knocked him over and he didn't seem like he wanted to knock me into tomorrow. Maybe I caught him on a good day?" I said, trying to convince both Leon and myself. I had no idea that my brush with Axel could've gone in a much worse direction. "I don't think people like Axel have 'good days'. But count yourself lucky, many others have been to the infirmary after facing Axel's wrath." Leon said.

Despite Leon's warning, I decided to postpone my judgment of Axel. He had seemed nice enough to me, and all of my bones were currently intact so I'd make up my mind about Axel only after seeing him again sometime. I was never one to take other people's perspectives on things, particularly people who can be quite misunderstood. "Did you know Axel is Reno's cousin?" Leon stated. Suddenly clarity spread through my mind. The red hair, the height, and apparently the temper. My mistaking Axel for Reno made significantly more sense now, they're cousins. "Oh, no I didn't know that. Is he new here or something? I've never seen him before." I said. Leon nodded. "Yeah he just transferred from Nibelheim University I think. Majoring in sport and physical education. Seems appropriate, wouldn't you agree?" I nodded in confirmation, sports did seem like a suitable area for someone with attitudes like Reno and now Axel.

"Well, anyway, let's get started here. Ok so I'm gonna be timing you for a few laps Cloud, so jump in, maybe do a warm up lap or two, then let me know when you're ready." Leon said, smiling. I nervously took my shirt off, did a few stretches and jumped in the pool. A blissful warm temperature, I felt in my element as I always did with swimming. I did a practise lap up the pool and back before giving Leon a thumbs up. "Ok Cloud, first up swim up and back and I'll time you. 3, 2, 1, go." Summoning all my energy I began my lap, aiming for smooth armstrokes and propelling kicks. Reaching the end I did the usual tumble turn and raced back to the start, lungs beginning to burn a bit from exertion. I touched the starting wall and heard Leon yell "Time!". I looked over and saw Leon staring at his stopwatch with his eyebrows raised. Oh god, it's either good or awful. Probably awful. My heart began to sink in my chest as I swam to the ladder and prepared for the worst.

"Cloud, that was amazing! 1:12! That's as good as some of the guys on the team." Pride swelled within me as I allowed myself this happy moment. "Ok Cloud, from what I've seen you've done enough to join the team, but now you'll be racing against me." Said Leon with a smirk. Nerves flooded my body once again, I was going to be racing against Leon. Leon the captain. Leon jumped in the pool and we got ourselves in position. "3, 2, 1, go!" We started our little race and I jetted off as fast as I possibly could. Glancing to the right, my heart surged at seeing Leon a little further behind than me. I was winning! I made my tumble-turn and began the home stretch. In the last 25 metres, however, Leon blazed past me and finished with a full second to spare.

Although I knew he was the captain it still crushed me a bit to have a headstart on him and then lose so close to the end. Leon's smile and strained breath, however, re-lifted my spirits. Leon seemed absolutely ecstatic. "Unbelievable, Cloud! You certainly gave me a run for my money." His smile was infectious and suddenly losing didn't seem that bad at all, especially if Leon's disarming grin was his reward. "Well, I think I've seen enough today, Cloud. We'd be honoured if you would join our team."


End file.
